ReMix: Flashback: The Quest for Identity 'Memory Leak Suite'

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Today we have something a little different for you. It's different, of course, in the sense that we don't get a boatload of Flashback ReMixes, but in this case it's coming from a new ReMixer who works in the industry. Rich Douglas, alias Beckett007, writes:

"Ever since I first played Flashback, it blew me away... and honestly is the reason I'm working in the game industry today. I'm an audio director for a THQ company and seeing as how we're about to wrap our current game up, Stuntman Ignition, I had a bit of spare time to put together this piece of music. It's not really a remix in the sense of the word... more like a reworking of themes composed by Baudlot and Visserot with my own spin on orchestration. I basically approached this side project like i would scoring a next gen version of Flashback, a remake ... I thought it best to utilize their themes, but at the same time not only make them my own, but take that vibe and run with it to create my own motifs but also to stay in the same place soundwise / moodwise as the original. The main motif I added and carry throughout the suite is a lonely Duduk that serves as conrads theme, that and the 3 note synth lead line utilized in the game version of "Captured" that carries itself throughout as well. The end cue is definately a departure from the original...not as happy sounding.. I hint at conrads theme once again, only to bring in some distant strings as he learns he'll be floating through space for a hell of a long time and must go into hypersleep not knowing what the future holds...

...I used a ton of different Virtual Instruments to create this piece... everything from Stormdrum, to Stylus RMX, Atmosphere, FM8, EWQL Gold, String Essentials, RA... tons of stuff, I also used quite a bit of compression tools (like Izotope) and wizoo convolution verb which I can't recommend enough, good stuff for the price. Overall, I'm really happy with how it turned out and hope that you guys feel the same way. Enjoy!"

So, for one, it's awesome to see established industry artists taking the time to pay homage to others in their field, and also communicate so much information as to their creative process and studio. Furthermore, anyone familiar with the soft synths Rich mentioned can testify that he's got a fantastic arsenal at his disposal, and he uses it well. As the Spiderman movies have taught us, with great power comes great responsibility, and this extends into the studio world as well, in my opinion. The duduk in particular is very expressive; FYI, I used a duduk in OCR01500, and other mixes have employed it as well, if it sounds familiar. There's VERY aggressive ensemble brass here that screams epic and lends the Flashback score a presentation that truly makes it seem cinematic, enveloping, and immediate. You can tell the ReMixer is a fan of the original game and its score; as the piece segues from section to section, there's a linear, narrative flow that makes musical sense but also is like reliving the game, in a condensed (but beautiful) way. There's a bit of an issue with transitions, or rather, lack thereof, and at certain times it feels more like a series of cues than a fully integrated suite, but I don't think it suffers from too bad a case of "medleyitis," primarily because the cues aren't all overpowering melodies that would have been difficult to juxtapose - more often they're subtle pieces of BGM that work well together and don't clash. Malcos says:

"Of all the transitions, the one at 3.09 is the most jarring. However as DS said it is more of a gear change, a deliberate setting of a new tempo - not easy to do well, but here it works (just). Top quality production here. The re-arrangement in this is on the line of slightly altered source with totally original elements, which were integrated well."

Pretty much. Rich has sent in more material since this initial sub, and I think it's safe to say you'll be hearing it soon. We've got so much great stuff in store for the next two or three months - mixes, projects, and significant site enhancements - that I get overwhelmed just thinking about the time involved in getting through it. One way or another, we'll make it! Mixes like these, all the moreso when they're from industry composers who are taking the time to acknowledge and participate in the fan arrangement community, easily make the work involved worthwhile. Enjoy Rich's piece, check out his work on Stuntman Ignition, and look for more from him in the future!

― djpretzel